Macular Degeneration

Overview

Macular degeneration, or age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 and older. It destroys a person's sharp, central vision, which is needed to see objects clearly and to do things like reading and driving.

Warning Signs & Symptoms

There are two kinds of AMD: dry or wet. For dry AMD, the most common early sign is blurred vision. As fewer cells in the macula are able to function, people will see details, like words in a book, less clearly in front of them. Often this blurred vision will go away in brighter light. People may also see a small but growing blind spot in their field of vision. For wet AMD, the classic early symptom is that straight lines appear crooked. This results when fluid from the leaking blood vessels gathers and lifts the macula, distorting vision. A small blind spot may also appear in wet AMD, resulting in the loss of one's central vision.

Treatment/Procedures

There is currently no cure for AMD, just treatment options that stop the progress of the condition. For wet AMD, treatment options include thermal laser, phytodynamic therapy and anti-VEFG drugs. Very few treatments exist to treat dry AMD.

Prevention

The cause of AMD is not known, however, several factors appear to increase a person's risk. There are several risk factors that people can't control, such as age, having light-colored eyes and a family history of the disease. However, there are several risk factors people can control: not smoking, reducing exposure to sunlight by wearing UVA/UVB protective eyewear and wide-brimmed hats and eating a healthy diet.

Rehabilitation

Currently, there are no treatment options available that restore lost vision, and for most AMD patients, there are not even treatments that prevent further vision loss. Rehabilitation is simply learning to live with restricted vision.

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